Watering restrictions keep limits on use in Georgia, Upstate

Drought continues to wreak havoc on supplies

Severe drought conditions have caused restrictions on water use in the city of Clemson while cities in the surrounding area look for a solution to the growing concern over a water shortage.

Megan McNulty, a nursing student at Clemson, washes her car at Dazzle Car Wash Tuesday. McNulty said she tends to wash her vehicle at the local business and was unaware of a restriction on washing cars in front of city residences. "I figure this is more efficient anyway," she said.

An old sign marks a section of shoreline that used to be under the surface of Lake Hartwell in Clemson.

ANDERSON COUNTY

Belton-Honea Path Water Authority -- voluntary

City of Anderson -- voluntary

Homeland Park Water District -- voluntary

Powdersville Water District -- voluntary

Sandy Springs Water District -- voluntary

Starr-Iva Water & Sewer District -- voluntary

Town of Williamston -- voluntary

West Anderson Water District -- voluntary

PICKENS COUNTY

City of Clemson -- 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. odd/even calendar days to match house number; no washing boats, vehicles, sidewalks, buildings

Hart County Water & Sewer -- Hand-watering only, 25 mins. per day (odd/even days) with hose and automatic shut-off device; no washing boats or vehicles

Even though recent rains have dampened the dry sponge that is the Upstate, local water authorities warn that mandatory watering restrictions could become a way of life for homeowners in the Upstate — as they already are for Georgia residents.

"June was extremely dry," said Dyke Spencer, general manager of the Powdersville Water District. "If we go through a July that's similar to June, we'll probably ... be moving to mandatory restrictions."

In response to the rainfall crisis, the South Carolina Drought Response Committee voted June 30 to move five Upstate counties — Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg and Cherokee — into "extreme" drought status, the highest category.

That action kicked into gear a two-year-old ordinance in the city of Clemson that restricts residential outdoor watering whenever the state declares an "extreme" drought. (All S.C. municipalities are required by the Department of Health and Environmental Control to have a drought ordinance. Some, like Clemson's, take their cue from the state-declared drought categories. Others are based on lake levels.)

"Our ordinance is based on the drought category," said Benjie McGill, Clemson's utilities director. "When DNR (the Department of Natural Resources) declares an extreme drought, we go into restrictions."

Clemson residents now are allowed to water their lawns between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on odd or even-numbered days, corresponding to their street address. Washing of sidewalks and driveways is prohibited, as is washing down buildings or washing cars and boats in residential driveways. The city recommends watering landscapes no more than twice a week.

So far, said McGill, response has been positive.

"Most of the calls are just questions about when to water," he said. "We're having door hangers printed up that we'll hand out. We want to get the word out and let people know this is serious."

The state of Georgia got serious about restricting water use last fall, when Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an order severely limiting outdoor watering, with an outright ban in 61 counties.

In February, the state environmental department relaxed the restrictions somewhat. Automatic irrigation still was banned, but residents could water by hand on the odd/even system, with a garden hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle — but only for a total of 25 minutes per day on their allowed days.

"That was one-size-fits-all," said Don Dye, water/wastewater utilities director for the city of Toccoa. "Then they (the state) figured out that one size doesn't necessarily fit all."

Starting in June, Georgia municipalities with adequate water resources were allowed to petition the state to have watering restrictions loosened within their city limits.

Several northeast Georgia municipalities persuaded the state to grant their residents permission to water more, and to use automatic sprinkler systems. Toccoa residents now can water three days a week, between midnight and 10 a.m., as can Lavonia residents. In Hartwell, watering is limited to two days a week.

Most Upstate residents still are under voluntary watering restrictions. The city of Anderson's drought ordinance is tied to water levels in Hartwell Lake, main source for the Anderson Regional Joint Water System's 15 members.